THE Grand National is no more dangerous than any other race, says the racehorse trainer who had three hopefuls in this year’s controversial event.

The showcase horse race was overshadowed by two deaths, that of joint favourite Synchronised and According to Pete, both from falls.

It prompted animal welfare groups to brand the four-miles Aintree course “deliberating punishing and hazardous” and follows the death of four horses at the famous Merseyside meet last year.

But Vale of Glamorgan-based Evan Williams, whose horse Cappa Bleu finished fourth in Saturday’s National is adamant that while animal safety is paramount, the sport should not be punished in the aftermath of this weekend’s tragedy.

Also trainer to State of Play and Deep Purple, he said: “Aintree is a beautiful course, with beautiful fences which we should be proud of.

“The problem is that the eyes of the world are always on the Grand National.

“The sad fact is that horses do break legs while racing, as they do in riding clubs, pony clubs, in retirement, in the field.

“It is of course sad, and I am very happy that my three horses came home in one piece on Saturday, but please, please, please don’t take the focus away from this incredible event.

“The welfare of the animal is paramount, and the welfare standards in horse racing are second to none I can assure you.

“But accidents do happen.”

Animal welfare group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) described Saturday’s race as a “national disgrace”.

A spokesman said: “The only surefire bet at the Grand National is that of all the losers, it’s the horses who lose the most.

“The thoroughbreds forced to take part in the Grand National are accidents waiting to happen: their legs are too long and fragile, they’re forced to run while still young and growing and they’re whipped and pushed literally to the breaking point.

“More than 400 horses are raced to death in the UK every year.

“The Grand National is a national disgrace.”

The RSPCA added its voice to calls for the race to have a radical overhaul.

Spokesman David Muir called for the number of runners in the race to be reviewed and said jump design and race length should also be looked at.

“I am not happy about drop fences like Becher’s,” he said. “It appears the horses still had difficulties with it.”

Meanwhile bookmakers believe the popularity of the race could be under serious threat.

“It is facing one of its most difficult periods in the aftermath of Saturday,” said Ladbrokes’ David Williams.

“Amidst all of the soul-searching which quite rightly is going to take place, it is worth remembering that there was record turnover on the race, so the sport must be doing something right.

“However, I think we now have to work harder than we have ever worked before to ensure we do everything humanly possible to do two things.

“Firstly, do everything possible for the welfare of horses in the race, and secondly to present it properly.

“Presentation of the sport took an absolute hammering on Saturday.

“We need to learn these lessons, and quickly, otherwise the public will turn against the sport we love.”

Last night the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said an official investigation into the deaths of Synchronised and According To Pete were “reasonably advanced”.

BHA chief executive Paul Bittar said: “The evidence indicates that the changes and improvements in safety made over the years have led to an overall decrease in injury and fatalities, both on the Grand National course and racing in general.

“It is important these matters be judged over a period of time.

“The decade since 2000 was the safest on record for the Grand National with a fatality rate of 1.5% compared to 3.3% at the start of the 1990s.

“Naturally our objective is for there to be no fatalities, but we also recognise that we cannot remove risk altogether from such a competitive activity.”